Barbados holidays experiencing a 10% increase in tourist arrivals

The number of tourist arriving to Barbados holidays during the first half of the year rose by almost 10% when compared against the same period in 2009. Figures from the report revealed that as many as 26,000 more tourists arrived during these months.

Tourist arrivals to Barbados holidays for the first half of this year rose 9.9 % higher than in the same period in 2009, signalling an increase of almost 10% during the first half of the year. According to figures from the Barbados Statistical Service, a provisional 289 967 visitors came to the island between January and June this year, compared to 263 849 last year, recording an increase of over 26,000 people taking Barbados holidays during these months.

The greatest increase in arrivals came from Canada, which produced a massive number of 62 607 tourists in total which more than doubles last year's figures of 37 570 visitors in 2009 representing a 66.6 % increase.

Arrivals from the United States also moved up considerably by 22.6 per cent, from 56 945 in 2009 to 69 793 this year.

Meanwhile, 5.5 % more local Caribbean visitors from Trinidad and Tobago arrived during the six-month period.

The figures show that while 12 064 came in 2009, 12 727 chose to go for Barbados holidays this year.

However, arrivals from other CARICOM countries declined by 5.4 %, from 29 685 for the first half of 2009 to 28 090 during the comparable period this year.

There was a 12.2 pe% decline in the number of tourists from the United Kingdom, with 88 443 arriving for the period under review this year as opposed to 100 704 in 2009.

Declines were also evident in the number of visitors from Germany and other European countries, which saw declines of 6.7 % and 3.1%, respectively.

In addition, cruise passenger arrivals (those who did not permanently disembark in Barbados) amounted to 368 327 in 2010 compared to 347 255 last year – an increase of 6.1%.

However, the number of landed passengers (those who permanently disembarked in Barbados, including direct-transit or transfer passengers, tourists and Barbadian residents) declined by 25.4 %.